First Obama, now the NFL - the crackdown on gang-signs continues

Heaven forbid that any American football stars put a beefy finger in the wrong place during the forthcoming season. In an attempt to repair the sport's image, which has been darkened by a string of scandals, gridiron's governing body has announced a crackdown on players who flash gangland hand signals during their on-field celebrations.

A team of experts has been hired to analyse video footage of games and establish whether there is anything unsavoury going on behind the high-fives that greet a successful passage of play.

It comes after the murder of Darrent Williams, a cornerback for the Denver Broncos, who was shot last season during an altercation with several gang members. "There have been some suspected things we've seen," admitted Milt Ahlerich, the National Football League's vice-president of security, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "When we see it, we quietly jump on it immediately, directly with the team and the player or employee involved to cease and desist. Period."

Referees have been advised to alert their league headquarters of anything unusual or suspicious, he said, including "symbols, clothing, jewellery or other items that would signify an association with criminal gang enterprises".

New recruits to the NFL were required to attend a lecture on gang culture at the recent pre-season "rookie symposium". A video outlining their off-field responsibilities, which carries extensive warnings about the dangers of gangs, has been made required viewing for every player in the league.

Although many players admit to having seen gang signals on the field, some say the new rules are a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The former NFL player Marcellus Wiley, who grew up in a tough district of South Central Los Angeles, said the crackdown was misguided.

"A lot of guys when they get into the league, they aren't actually throwing up gang signs as if they're still active gang members, or were ever gang members," he said. "But it's just like Reggie Bush wearing [the area code] 619 under his eyes. It's just kind of to symbolise where you came from."

Um, people: This is a common gesture, and its use is not limited to Democrats with unusual names. In 2001 it was used by Carleton S. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive — now advising Senator John McCain — and Michael D. Capellas, then the Compaq chief executive, to salute the completion of their merger. And in 2006, former President George Bush shared a fist bump with Anna Kournikova at a celebrity tennis event — and he was 82 at the time.